diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index caadac5529d9bde887b7a7208519b51c80c2726a..8739be1d73434e0e61a6b80f5696727cd68b4892 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2013-10-09, v0.5.3
+	* Fix a bug in snf-mkimage expert mode were the program could crash if
+	  the image did not have any image properties
+
 2013-09-09, v0.5.2
 	* Fix some errors in the ci scripts
 
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 626a201cbad3e836deaa5ff1d83bb9ea6de6f937..5521dad44030936861b161410e2781ca4d2bd84a 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ copyright = u'2012, 2013 GRNET S.A. All rights reserved'
 # built documents.
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = '0.5.2'
+version = '0.5.3'
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = '0.5.2'
+release = '0.5.3'
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/docs/usage.rst b/docs/usage.rst
index 5dd73d46c7aa912226a5ddb8ad9ae45c860bc7e2..fc991728c2e3a49acb65c4ece6032898fcba4017 100644
--- a/docs/usage.rst
+++ b/docs/usage.rst
@@ -239,8 +239,8 @@ for more information).
 Creating a new image
 ====================
 
-Suppose you want to create a new Ubuntu server image. Download the installation
-disk from the Internet:
+Suppose your host system is a Debian Wheezy and you want to create a new Ubuntu
+server image. Download the installation disk from the Internet:
 
 .. code-block:: console
 
@@ -272,7 +272,9 @@ And install the Ubuntu system on this file:
    use LVM partitions. They are not supported by snf-image-creator.
 
 You will be able to boot your installed OS and make any changes you want
-(e.g. install openssh-server) using the following command::
+(e.g. install openssh-server) using the following command:
+
+.. code-block:: console
 
    $ sudo kvm -m 1G -boot c -drive file=ubuntu.raw,format=raw,cache=none,if=virtio
 
diff --git a/image_creator/dialog_menu.py b/image_creator/dialog_menu.py
index 351f0b9687c17960064fc13b8f66a14225ead735..25fcb6c3089e99048bd4071f6d99d65bf235743e 100644
--- a/image_creator/dialog_menu.py
+++ b/image_creator/dialog_menu.py
@@ -488,6 +488,15 @@ def add_property(session):
     return True
 
 
+def show_properties_help(session):
+    """Show help for image properties"""
+    d = session['dialog']
+
+    help_file = get_help_file("image_properties")
+    assert os.path.exists(help_file)
+    d.textbox(help_file, title="Image Properties", width=70, height=40)
+
+
 def modify_properties(session):
     """Modify an existing image property"""
     d = session['dialog']
@@ -497,6 +506,19 @@ def modify_properties(session):
         for (key, val) in session['metadata'].items():
             choices.append((str(key), str(val)))
 
+        if len(choices) == 0:
+            code = d.yesno(
+                "No image properties are available. "
+                "Would you like to add a new one?", width=WIDTH, help_button=1)
+            if code == d.DIALOG_OK:
+                if not add_property(session):
+                    return True
+            elif code == d.DIALOG_CANCEL:
+                return True
+            elif code == d.DIALOG_HELP:
+                show_properties_help(session)
+            continue
+
         (code, choice) = d.menu(
             "In this menu you can edit existing image properties or add new "
             "ones. Be careful! Most properties have special meaning and "
@@ -526,9 +548,7 @@ def modify_properties(session):
         elif code == d.DIALOG_EXTRA:
             add_property(session)
         elif code == 'help':
-            help_file = get_help_file("image_properties")
-            assert os.path.exists(help_file)
-            d.textbox(help_file, title="Image Properties", width=70, height=40)
+            show_properties_help(session)
 
 
 def delete_properties(session):
@@ -539,6 +559,11 @@ def delete_properties(session):
     for (key, val) in session['metadata'].items():
         choices.append((key, "%s" % val, 0))
 
+    if len(choices) == 0:
+        d.msgbox("No available images properties to delete!",
+                 width=SMALL_WIDTH)
+        return True
+
     (code, to_delete) = d.checklist("Choose which properties to delete:",
                                     choices=choices, width=WIDTH)
     to_delete = map(lambda x: x.strip('"'), to_delete)  # needed for OpenSUSE
diff --git a/image_creator/version.py b/image_creator/version.py
index f9e59b84d3fa7b93945c3c4a1dc30af73c445057..351ff305c1fc972910ab67cd16d58d05d142be0f 100644
--- a/image_creator/version.py
+++ b/image_creator/version.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 
-__version__ = "0.5.2"
+__version__ = "0.5.3"
 __version_vcs_info__ = {
-    'branch': 'hotfix-0.5.2',
-    'revid': '97a59b7',
-    'revno': 397}
+    'branch': 'hotfix-0.5.3',
+    'revid': 'dc0ecb2',
+    'revno': 402}
 __version_user_email__ = "skalkoto@grnet.gr"
 __version_user_name__ = "Nikos Skalkotos"
diff --git a/version b/version
index cb0c939a936f142669d38cf1ece330266d730965..be14282b7fffb9ba95d51c6546ed9816dc8f3ff8 100644
--- a/version
+++ b/version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.5.2
+0.5.3